Margolis Promotes Democrats

Democrats Took The Leadership Posts Of Gop Senators Whom Margolis Forced To Resign.

December 20, 1991|By Donna O'neal, Sentinel Tallahassee Bureau

TALLAHASSEE — Senate President Gwen Margolis made good her promise Thursday to give Democrats more leadership posts following a revolt last week by Republican senators.

Margolis, D-North Miami Beach, also beefed up Democratic membership on committees that will be voting on key issues during the 1992 session such as pari-mutuel wagering, business regulation, taxes and government reorganization.

The 18 GOP senators, joined by Sen. Vince Bruner, D-Fort Walton Beach, nearly killed a compromise plan to cut the state budget during last week's special session. Margolis had to summon to Tallahassee two absent Democratic senators to pass the plan by a 21-19 vote.

In announcing Democratic replacements for the GOP chairmen she forced to resign, Margolis also punished Bruner and the two GOP senators who organized the revolt, Dick Langley of Clermont and John McKay of Bradenton.

Langley and McKay were removed from the Senate Appropriations Committee.

Bruner lost his chairmanships of the Corrections Committee and a budget subcommittee on transportation. Margolis also removed him from the Reapportionment Committee's legislative subcommittee, which will decide where to draw district lines next year.

Bruner is likely to lose some of his district because of population shifts to the south. Later Thursday he announced that he will run for re-election as a Republican, but said he would not switch parties before the election.

One Central Florida senator who benefitted from the shake-up is Patsy Kurth, D-Malabar, who was named chairwoman of the International Trade, Economic Development and Tourism Committee.

Margolis allowed three GOP senators to keep their leadership posts: Mary Grizzle of Belleair Shore and two members of South Florida's Hispanic caucus, Javier Souto and Roberto Casas.

Grizzle chairs the Community Affairs Committee and Casas and Souto are vice chairmen on reapportionment subcommittees.

Margolis said she decided to keep Grizzle because she is a longtime friend and did not play a key role in the revolt.